Window-screen.



H. HIGGIN.

WINDOW SCREEN.

APPLICATION Hum APR. 14, I913.

Patented June 22, 1915.

a nun-II an-1,4 ml,

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTG-LITHO.. WASHINGTONv D. C.

martian smarts arrir lesion.

HENRY HIGGIN, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OE ONE-HALF TO THE I-IIGGIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

WINDOW-SCREEN.

masses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HIGGIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Window-Screens, of which the following 1s a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means for securing and locking the screen in the window opening while permitting it to be readily raised or lowered whereby the objections incident to the use of the ordinary construction of window screens may be avoided.

It is customary in ordinary constructions to rely on spring tension to hold the screen in place. The springs are placed on one side of the screen, and by compressing them the opposite side of the screen is located in place in its guide. If the springs are too strong or if the screen is released before It reaches its seat in the groove, there is great danger of dropping the screen especially if large and cumbersome, to the great damage of the screen and the liability of serious accident to passing pedestrians. Heretofore with the screens in car windows as ordinarily employed, the same danger exists, and moreover in car windows it is extremely desirable that the screen shall be locked against efiorts to lift it from outside the car.

It is to avoid these objections that my invention is directed and it consists in that certain novel construction of lock and method of operating same to be hereinafter particularly pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a window frame with my screen attached, slightly raised. Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe screen partly cut away at the corners. Fig. 3 is a front view of the locking device. Fig. 4: is a horizontal section of the lower portion of the screen, showing the locking device. Fig. 5 is a cross section of a portion of the screen on the lines 5, 5, of Fig. 2. Fig. .6 is a perspective of the releasing loop. Figs. 7 and 8 are views of portions of the guiding strip. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the head of the bushing.

The sides of a window frame are represented by 1, 1, with sill 2 and guide strips 4,

4, to receive and carry the window screen made up of side moldings 6, 6, and top and bottom moldings 7 7, with the wire screening 3 secured in the frame.

The construction of the framework and the method of securing the screen wire therein forms no part of my present invention which relates more particularly to the locking device and the construction of frame work illustrated embodies the subject matter of another application for Letters Patent.

As illustrated, the molding frame for the screen is made up of a strip of sheet metal bent into the form illustrated in the cross sections of the molding to provide a hollow frame. The strip is folded on itself and bent to form a seat 8, segmental in cross section, for the rod 9, by means of which the wire screening is secured to the frame. The strip is then bent to form the side 10 and then in upon itself to provide a groove 11 for the guides, then back to form the opposite side and then obliquely inward; and at a point about the diameter of the rod 9 from the original seat, the side edge of the strip is bent inwardly at 12 to engage the rod. The wire screen is stretched between the sides of the molding over the seat 8, and the rod 9 for each of the four sides is then pushed in and the oblique portion gives sufficiently to allow the rod to snap into place between the seat 8 and the portion 12, thus locking the screening in place.

The bottom and top moldings are the same as for the sides, except that no groove or runway is provided, and a hollow rectangular space is provided in the molding. In this space the locking device is located for the bottom of the screen. The locking device for each end comprises locking bolts 15, 15, which are guided in boxes 16, 16, at the corners, and the locking bolts are kept normally extended beyond the contact face of the molding each by a coiled spring 19 mounted on the rod and bearingbetween the rear wall of the box and a collar 20 on the bolt. The two locking bolts are connected by links 28 with the crank disk 25. These connections are made at the points 29, 29, diametrically opposite each other, and the disk is journaled on a pin provided with a squared portion 34 fitting in the square aperture 26 in the disk, with a cylindrical butt 35 and the slotted head 33. The head 33 is seated in the front face of the molding, and the butt is mounted so as to turn in the opposite face of the molding.

It follows from the above construction that by turning the pin with a screw driver, or other suitable tool, engaging the slot in the head of the pin, the crank disk will be rocked to withdraw the bolts within the edge of the molding, and when the head 33 is released, the springs 19 will project the bolts to enter into the hole in the guide strip provided for that purpose, at such points as may be desired on the guidingrails.

Whenever the window screen is, used for the upper sash, or as in'car windows the screen is raised behind the lower rail of the window, the screw head 33 cannot be conveniently reached. In order, therefore, to release the lock with the screen in this position, I provide a loop 32 which is suspended over an outwardly projecting arm 30 ex; tending upwardly from the crank disk 25. This loop, when the screen is raised, drops down and projects through an opening in the bottom of the screen frame; but when the screen is lowered to'the sill, the loop being loose can be shifted to one side and will be moved up inside the frame, still, however, remaining in a position to again drop through the opening in engagement with the arm 30 when the screen is raised, and in order that the loop may not be dislodged the end of the arm 30 is bent outwardly at right angles, as shown at 31. It will be evident that with a hook inserted in the free edge of the loop, the loop may be drawn down to rockthe crank disk and thus retract the bolts from their engagement with the guide rails, so that the screen can be raised.

Inasmuch as no springs are provided between the side frame and the guiding rails, it is necessary to first locate the screen in raised position and then on one side to screw into position the lower section of the guide rail. In order that this section, a portion of which is illustrated in Fig. 7, may be readily removed,.the screws l7 are provided with bushes 18, so that this section of the guide rail may be removed and replaced as many times as, desired without wearing out the screwthreads in the seat. The preferred bushings shown are designed to be driven into the wooden frame of awindow, and are provided with the vertical grooves 41, and the lateral grooves 42. This prevents the bushes from drawing out or rotating and thereby makes a secure and tight connection for the removable guide rail. I prefer to have a tongue 43 on the removable rail, adapted to fit into the end of the fixed rail. This provides a snug connection, preserves a good alinement and saves the locating of a screw near the connecting point. The guide rails may be filled or hollow as desired. Where great strength is needed, the filled rail is preferred. To hold the screen in its raised position, a notch 40 is formed in the guide rail at the proper point.

The benefits and advantages of the construction will be evident from the foregoing description.

The screens are located permanently in the windows to be removed only by unscrewing and removing a portion of the guide rail. When the screen is in its lowermost position, or when it is raised to its uppermost position, it is automatically locked by the bolts 15, 15. If it is desired to retract the bolts to shift the screen for any reason, a screw driver, or other tool, is applied to the head 33., and upon turning the pin, the crank disk is turned to withdraw the bolts. Then when the screen has been raised and locked in its uppermost position, if it is desired to shift the screen downwardly, the loop. 32 is drawn upon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-.- ters Patent, is

1 In a window screen, a hollow molding and a locking device mounted therein, the locking device comprising sliding bolts, with an inter-mediate crank and connection therefor with the bolts, and a plurality of means for rocking the crank to simultaneously retract the bolts, and springs to project them into locking position, one of said means extending outwardly at the side of the screen, and the other located in the hollow molding at the base of the screen to be available only in raised position of the screen, for the purpose described.

2, In a window screen, a hollow molding and a locking device mounted therein, the locking device comprising sliding bolts, with an inter-mediate crank and connection therefor with the bolts, a rotatable pin upon which the crank is mounted, and means for rocking the pin to retract the bolts to release the window screen, and means connected to the crank for rocking it and the pin, said means located in the hollow molding at the base of the screen to be available only in raised position of the screen, for the purpose described.

3.. In a window screen, a hollow molding and a locking device mounted therein, the locking device comprising sliding bolts, with an intermediate crank and connection there for with the bolts, a rotatable pin upon which the crank is mounted, the head of the pin having a slot for the reception of a tool for turning, a supplemental arm on the crank with loops loosely engaging same for actuating said crank to release the bolts, said loop depending through the base of the molding and adapted to, be withdrawn within1 1the same when the screen rests upon the s1 4. In a window screen, a hollow molding 1,148,965 all;

' which the crank is mounted, the pin being squared to engage the crank, with a cylindrical end to find a bearing in the molding wall, and with the head flush with the outer face of the molding and provided with a slot for the reception of a tool for turning 10 and additional means for rocking the crank, located in the base of the screen to be available only in raised position of the screen, for the purpose specified.

HENRY HIGGIN. Attest:

MARSTON ALLEN, HELEN L. AULIBOLZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenta, Washington, D. 0. 

